Hook forming and clamping device



Jan. 4, 1927.

J. J. HIGGINS HOOK FORMING AND CLAMPING DEVICE Filed March so. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1' INVENTOR JOHN J. HCGG NS ATTO R N EY Jan. 4,1927. 1,612,816

JMJ. HIGGINS v HOOK FORMING AND GLAMPING DEVICE Filed March so. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGJS- IINVENTOR JOHN J. HIGGI NS ATTORNEY i so Patented Jan. 4, 1927.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN JOSEPH HIGGINS, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 WESTING- HOUSE LAMP COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

HOOK FOR-MING AND CLAMPING DEVICE.

Application filed March so, 1922.

This invention relates to the manufacture of mounts for incandesent electric lamps and more particularly to a machine for securing the leading-in wires of a mount to the ends of the filament.

An object of the invention is to provide a device for forming a hook at the end of? a leading-in wire and for closing the hook about a filament.

Another object of the invention is to facilitate the manufacture of lamp stems by the provision of mechanism for forming a hook at the end of a leading-in wire after its consolidation with the other parts of a stem.

The internal structure of an incandescent electric lamp is usually referred to as the mount. of incandescent lamps, comprises a stem, which includes several glass parts consolidated with the leadingin wires. A filament is carried through its engagement with the leading-in wires and support wires secured to the stem. The leading-in wires serve as conductors to permit the passage of current, from an external source, through the "filament.

It has been the practice to assemble the several glass parts of a stem in a given relation in a suitable holder and then apply heat to fuse the parts together, the leading-in wires being so disposed with respect to the other part that, when the same are consolidated by fusion, the leading-in wires are sealed thereto. The assembly and union of these several parts are well known in the art.

ltiechanisin for consolidating the several parts of a stern are termed stem heads and, ordinarily, when employing such ste n heads, the leading-in wires are provided in g ven lengths with a hook previously formed at one end. After the parts have been consolidated, a plurality of radially disposed support wires having loops or hooks at the ends thereo't. are inserted in each oi the buttons provided on that portion of the stem called the arbor. The filament is thendisposed in the loops of the support wires, and the ends of the filament are positioned 1n the books at the encs of the leading-in wires, atter which the hooks are closed by a clamping operation, thereby connecting the filament with the leading-in wires.

",lhe above description will. convey a gerrlhe mount, in the common variety Serial No. 548,077.

eral idea of a well known efficient and practical method, commonly employed for con necting leading-in wires to a filament.

The present invention, however, will permit a stem to be made without the leading-in wires having the hook formed thereon pre vious to their consolidation with the component parts of a stem. The advantage derived from the use of plain wire when forming the stem will. be appreciated when it is understood that, in order to automatically juXtapose leading-in wires in proper relation to the separate stem parts, it is desirable to feed the leading-in wires from rolls and, when given lengths of wire are properly positioned with respect to other parts of a stem, previous to consolidation, the wires may be cut oil and sections'o'f wire, thus produced, and the stem parts may be consolidated together in the usual manner.

The objection to automatically feeding given lengths or sections of wire having hooks already formed thereon to position, in stem-making machines, lies in the difiiculty in handling the wires and in the uncertainty of the position of the hooks when the wires are finally consolidated with the stem.

It is necessary, in order that other operating parts may be positive in their actions, to have the hooks of the wires always disposed in a given relation to the stem so that the filament may readily be disposed in the hooks either by hand or by cooperating machine elements and secured to the leading-in wires by clamping.

By means of the present invention, a stem read may be employed wherein the leadingin wires are fed from a roll or spool and the hooks may be made subsequent to the consolidation of the leading-in wires with the stem. The present device may then be employed to perform the operations of bending the hooks at the ends ot the leading-tin wires and to clamp the hooks about the ends of" the filament to complete a lamp mount.

Other objects and advantages will be ap parent from the following description and drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of my device;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the device;

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of the device; v

.Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view showing the initial position of the pressure members and the. leading-in wires;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the position of the parts at the time a hook is formed at the end of the leading-in wire;

F ig; 61s a diagrammatic View showing the pressure members after a reverse operation during which the hook previously formed has been closed upon the end of a filament, the gripping aws being shown in their closed position and securing a released portionof the filament;

Fig. '7 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. l without the jaws;

Fig. 8' is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 5, without the jaws;

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 6 and showing the jaws gripping a released portion of the filament;

Fig. 10 shows a lamp mount and the filament, the filament being indicated in dotted lines;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary plan view of the machine on an enlarged scale and shows a swinging arm in its open position;

Fig. 12. is a section taken on line XIIXII= in Fig. 2;

Fig. 13 is a section taken on line XIIIXHI in Fig. 2;

Fig. 1% is a section taken on line XIVXIV in Fig. 2; and,

Fig. 15 is an enlarged view showing the rollers after the hook has been made.

An embodiment of this invention may comprise a pair of pressure members adapted to be actuated in cooperation with a wirebending member to form a hook at the end of a wire. The pressure members may also be capable of operating to close the hook about the end of a filament disposed therein. Means may be incorporated with the device for severing the filament at a point adjacent the closed hook. The main portion of the filament may be secured in a position convenient for an operator to grasp for the succeeding operations.

The invention as illustrated in the drawing, includes standard 10 consisting of a base 11 having an extension 12 integral therewith for the purpose of proxdding vertical bearings for shafts l3 and. 1%. tie cured to the upper ends of the shafts 13 and 14 are rollers or pressure members 15 and 1.6, respectively. These members are disposed adjacent to each other with sufficient space between their circumferences to perform certain operations as will be later described. Integral with the roller 16 and at the underside thereof an extension or flange 17 (see Fig. 15)'is provided and so disposed that its upper surface is contiguous with the under surface of the roller 15, The flange 17 in cooperation with the roller 15 constitutes a cutter adapted to sever a filament wire subsequent to a clamping operation. The edge of the flange may be provided with serrations to facilitate the cutting operation.

The pressure members 15 and 16 are oscil- 'lated by their connection to a lever 18 which may be operated by hand or may be connected to a foot treadle (not shown).

The lever 18 is secured to a shaft 19 positioned in a vertical bearing 20. At the upper end of the shaft19 is fastened a toothed segment 21 positioned with the teeth thereof in mesh with teeth 22 at one end of a rack 23 which is slidable in a horizontal guide 2 1. The-end of the rack 23 opposite to that at which the segment 21 engages, is pro vided with teeth 25 positioned in mesh with the teeth of a segment 26 secured at the lower end of shaft 13. Thus an oscillatory movement of the lever 18 will reciprocate the rack 23, causing an oscillation of the shaft 13 and the pressure member 15. An opposite rotation is imparted to the pressure member 16 by means of two relatively small meshing pinions 28 and 29 secured to the shafts 13 and 14, respectively. The rollers or pressure members 15 and 16 are so positioned that, when the end of a leading-in wire is fed therebetween, it will be gripped and driven substantially at right angles to the vertical axes of the said members.

During this positive advancement or longitudinal movement of a wire, it is partially compressed or flattened, in accordance with the relative positions of the rollers 15 and 16. As the end of the flattened wire passes from between the rollers, its movement is intercepted by a rigid wire-crimping or bending member in the form of a rod 31 (see Fig. 11) secured by a set screw in a transverse bore 33 in an arm 3 1. The arm 3%: is pivoted on a pin 38 which is movable in a bearing disposed transverse of a member movable in a socket 41 in the extension 12 of the standard 10. The arm 3-1 may, therefore, be moved in a 1101 zaontal or in vertical plane, thus permitting the bending member 31 carried by the arm to be moved therewith to and from a given position with respect to the pressure nienr bers l5 and 16.

When the arm is adjusted to bri g the wire-bending n'iember in its operative relation to the pressure members, it is r ined in this position by a stop 49. tfi'i'tll filhi lug 43 extending above and secured to the extension 12 by a tap bolt A. s; t having one end connected to the arm and the other end secured to a post in. acts to urge the arm away from its relation to the pressure members; the stop 12, however, maintainsthe arm with the wire-bending member 32 properly disposed for the performance of its intended function.

For purposes to be hereinafter described,

it is desirable to remove the arm 34 after certain operations of the pressure rollers have been performed. This removal of the arm is possible by virtue of its semi-universal connection with the extension 12, and, to facilitate this operation, a finger piece 4%) is provided which may be gripped by an operator to lift the arm to permit the spring I? to move it over the stop and away from the pressure members. The removed. portion oi this arm is clearly shown in Fig. 11. iihen the all- 34 is in operative relation to the pressure members 15 and 16, it is held in frictional contact with the upper surface of the extension 12 by a' flat spring 50.

The wire-bending member 31 is so dis posed within the arm 2% that one end of this member may be moved to a position substantially in contact with the pressure members whereby a V-shaped recess 51 vertically positioned at the end of the bending member 31. may be disposed contiguous with the members and in a plane between, and approximately parallel with, the planes in which the axial lines of the pressure members are positioned. That portion of the wire-bending member which makes contact with the rollers is of concave shape having a radius substantially equal to that of the respective members 15 and 16.

ll ien a wire is fed to the members, at the side opposite to that on which the wirebending; member is positioned, the rollers are operated to grip and compress the wire, thus propelling it toward the recess or groove and causing it to bend or crimp, which results in a loop or hook. The roller or pressure member 15 is provided with a flat suriiac 52 and so positioned that, when the rollers have been operated to crimp the end of the wire. the flattened portion of the roller will be positioned between the two pressure members, thus releasing the wire from the gripping action of the rollers and providing space for its removal, itdesirable.

It is, howev r. preferable to position a filament wire within the hook before the said wire is removed from between the rollers.

l i hen a filament is properly positioned with an end thereof in the hook, an opposite rotation of the rollers operates to grip the wire and again propel it between the rollers in an opposite direction, with the result that the hook is clamped or closed about the 51:1- ment wire and secured thereto.

it will be understood that the pressure members may be adjusted to vary the distance between their perimeters and, in order to accomplish an accurate adjustment when necessary, the shaft 14 which carries the roller 16 is join-nailed in an independent bearing 58 suitably secured to the extension 12 by tap bolts 52 (see Fig. 1.2).

Set screws 53 are suitably disposed in an offsetportion 54 of the extension 12 and with their ends in contact with the bearing 53, thus, when the pressure members ar. po 'oned in approximately their operative positions, the set screws may be employed to slightly move the bearing 53 and thereby more accurately adjust the pressure members. Since this adjustment is very minute, it will be obvious that the bearing need give but slightly, such slight movement being possible even though the bearing is secured to the standard by tap bolts.

Filament wire 55 to be secured to the ends of leading-in wires is usually provided on a.

drum or spool 55 indicated in dotted lines in Fig. The end of this wire is then clamped to one end of a leading-in wire incorporated in a stem, after which the filament is draped or led over support wires of the stem and finally clamped to the other leading-in wire and subsequently sev red by the cutter. It will be evident that the end of the filament connected with the spool. would ordinarily become dislodged from its position with respect to the presure members after the severing operation and means are therefore provided to secure the released end of wire after the clamping and cutting operations have been performed, thus making it convenient for'an operator to again piclr up the filament for the performance of the next clamping operation.

In the present invention, means for securing a filament wire comprise a pair of jaws and 57 secured tovertical shafts 58 and 59.. When the jaws are closed, their faces 61 and 62' make contact in the vertical plane between the pressure members 15 and 16, the jaws being movable in a horizontal plane beneath the saidmembers. The opening and closing, of these jaws must necessarily be timed in accordance with the operation of the pressure members which are moved bya reciprocation of the rack 23 which is effected by a movement of the lever 18 in the direction of the arrow X. The shafts 58 and 59 upon whichthe jaws are mounted, are associated with the rack 28 by mechanism to be later described.

A return or opposite movement of the rack is produced by the association of the rack with a helical spring 63 one end oi" which is secured to a pin 64 in tened in the standard 10 the other end being; secured to an arm 65 which is pinned or otherwise fastened to the shaft 58. Upon the under side of the racl; 23 is fastened a pin 66 disposed as to be maintained normally in contact with the arm 65 by virtue of the contraction of the spring 63. Thus the rack is normally urged in the direction of the arrow hr ml Y and an opposite movement-of the rack is attained through a movement of the lever 18 which causes the lever arm to move in opposition to the spring 63, thereby moving the shaft 58 and consequently the jaws 56. For the purpose of imparting an opposite movementto the jaw 57, the lower ends of the shafts 58 and 59 have secured thereto toothed members or segments 67 and 68, respectively (see Fig. 13). The teeth of these two members may be positioned in mesh whereby an oscillation of the shaft 58 will eflect the oscillation of the shaft 59, with the result that the jaws 56 and 57 may be opened and closed.

In practice, a lamp stem 69, shown in Fig. 10, having leading-in wires 71, without hooks, consolidated therewith may be so juxtaposed with respect to the present device that a leading-in wire may be ripped by the pressure members upon an actuation of a treadle which will move the arm 18 in the direction of the arrow X. The pressure members will then be moved in the direction of the arrows indicated in Fig. at at which time the jaws 56 and 57 are in their closed positions.

Although the jaws are normally closed when the wire is applied to the rollers, they open as the wire passesthrough the rollers and the end thereof engages with, and iscrimped by, the wire-bending member as shown in Fig. 5. After the wire has been crimped and a hook 72 has been produced the pressure member 15 will be positioned with the flattened surface 52 thereof adjacent the member 16, thus providing space between the rollers for the removal of the leading-in wire; the jaws 61 and 62 will then be in their opened positions. The arm 34 may then be lifted over the stop 4C3 and removed from its operative position with the pressure members.

It will be noted that the leading-in wire 71 is fed to the v shaped recess 51, so that the end of the leading-in wire makes an initial contact upon an inclined surface of the recess. As shown in Fig. 15, the leading-in wire is positioned so that the line of its outer surface is substantially coincident with the apex of the recess or the longitudinal axis of the member 31. Thus as the rollers 15 and 16 propel the leading-in wire toward the recess 51, the end of the leading-in wire makes contact with the left hand surface according to the accompanying drawing and as the rollers continue to drive the leading-in wire toward the recess, the end of the leading-in wire will take the path of least resistance which will obviously be toward the apex of the recess, whereupon it will engage with the opposite inclined surface of the recess and by reason of the continued applied force, the end of the leading-in wire will traverse the last mentioned inclined surface with the resultthat it will be bentinto the form of a loop or hook 72.

The operator then places the end of the filament 55 downwardly into the hook 72 and releases the treadle, causing a reverse movement of the pressure members through the action of the spring (33, thereby com pressing the hook and the filament wire and propelling the leading-in wire and filament from the device. One of the leading-in wires being then secured to a filament wire, the filament is draped or led over the support wires 74 of a stem in the usual manner. The arm 34 may then be returned to its operative position with respect to the pressure members, and the other leading-in wire is applied between the pressure members. The treadle is again actuated to produce a hook on the end of the wire after which the arm 3tis removed and the filament is then disposed in the hook.

It will be noted that the filament wire is still connected with the main portion which is wound on the spool and that the jaws 56 and 57 of the device are open. Upon a release of the treadle and a closure of the hook upon the filament by the opposite rotation of the pressure. members, the cutter will sever the wire and the jaws 56 and 57 will close upon and; grip the end of the wire to grasp it for the convenience of an operator who may then slightly actuate the lever arm 18 to release the filament for the perfomance of the next operation upon a stem.

My invention may be embodied in many other forms than that shown and described, and I therefore do not wish to be restricted to the exact form shown but intend to cover by the appended claims all changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of my invention.

hat is claimed is:

1. A lamp-making machine comprising means for moving a wire through a predetermined path, wire bending means disposed in the path of movement of said wire to divert an end thereof to hook form, means for supporting a filament with a portion thereof in the hook formed at the end of said wire and means for actuating said first mentioned means to cause a movement of the wire in a reverse direction.

2. A lamp-making machine comprising means for propelling a wire through a given path, a wire bending member positioned in the path of movement of a wire to divert an end of said wire to hook form, and means for actuating said first mentioned means, to cause a movement of the wire in a reverse direction.

3. A lamp-making machine comprising means for propelling a wire through a predetermined path, a wire bending member disposed in the path of movement of a wire to engage an end thereof and bend the same to hook form, said means being operable to release the Wire upon thetormation of said hook and operable to effect a reverse movement of the Wire through said path to close the hook formed at the end of said wire. I

4-. A lamp-making machine comprising a pair of driving rollers to receive and propel a Wire through a given path, a Wire bending member disposed in the path of movement of, a Wire to engage an end thereof and bend the same to hook form, said driving members being constructed to release the Wire upon the formation of said hook and means to cause a reverse movement of the Wire between said members to close said book.

5. In a lamp-making machine, the combination of a hook forming and clamping device, comprising a pair of oppositely rotatable pressure members, a rigid] member disposed adjacent to said members, means for actuating said pressure members to move an end of a Wire against said rigid member to produce a hook and means for reversing the direction of rotation of said pressure members to efiectan opposite movement of the Wire and a closure of said hook.

6. In a lamp-making machine, the combination of means for forming a hook at an end of a Wire comprising a plurality of pressure members adapted to engage With and move a Wire in a given direction and the means for opposing the movement of said Wire to reversely bend the same and produce a hook of substantially V-shape at the end thereof and means for actuating said pressure members to close said hook.

'4'. In a lamp-making machine, the combination of means for forming a hook at the end of a Wire, comprising a pair of pressure members, means to actuate said members to move said Wire longitudinally in a given direction, means for opposing the movement of said Wire to bend an end there of and produce a hook and means to reverse tile movement of saidpressure members to engage With and close said hook upon an object positioned therein.

8. In a lamp-making machine, the combination of a Wire bending device comprising a pair of rotatable pressure members positioned to grip a wire disposed therebetween, a contact member positioned to oppose the movement of a Wire, means for actuating such pressure members to force said Wire against said contact member to produce a hook at an end of said Wire and means for causing a reverse actuation of said pressure members to close said hook upon an object positioned therein.

In a lamp-making machine, the combination of a Wire bending device comprising a pair of rotatable members, said members being so disposed as to grip a Wire applied therebetween, means for rotating said members to propel a Wire in a given direction, a rigid member disposedin the path of said wire, means incorporated in said. member for causing an end ;0f the propelled Wire to bend into a hook of substantially V-shape and means for actuating said rotatable members to close said hook.

10. In a lamp-making machine, the combination of a Wire bending and Clamping device comprising a pair of rotatable members, said members being so disposed as to grip a Wire applied therebetWeen, means for rotating said members to propel a Wire in a'given direction, a rigid member disposed in the path of movement of said Wire, means incorporated in said rigid memberfor causing an end of the propelled Wire to bend into hook shape and means for'eflecting' an opposite rotation'ofsaid rota-table members to engage With and cause a return movement of said Wire to move the hook between the rollers to close the same.

11. In a lamp-making machine, the combination of a wire bending device, comprising a pair of rotatable members, said members being so positioned as to grip a Wire when applied t-herebetiveen, means for rotating said members to propel the Wire through a given path, a rigid member disposed in the path of movement of said wire, said member having a V-shaped recess so disposed with respect to said members that a propelled Wire will enter said recess and be bent to hook shape and means for actuating said rotatable members to close the hook. V

12. In a lamp-making machine, the combination of a Wire bending and clamping device comprising a pair of rotatable mem bers, said members being so positioned as to grip a Wire When applied therebetween, means for rotating said members to grip and propel a Wire, a rigid member disposed in the path of movement of said Wire, said member having a V-shaped recess so disposed With respect to said members that a propelled Wire will enter said recess and be bent to hook shape and means for reversing the movement of said rotatable mem bers to engage with and cause a reverse movement of said Wire to effect a closure of said hook.

13. A lamp-making machine comprising a pair of rotatable members, a Wire bending member positioned in operable relation to said members, means for actuating said members, to propel a Wire against said Wire bendin member for the formation of a hook,

means associated With one of said rotatable members to support said \vlre for the introduction of a filament into said hook and means'for actuating said rotatable members to move said wire in an opposite direction and close said hook upon the filament.

14. A lamp-making machine comprising rotatable members, a hook forming member disposed in operable relation to said rotatable members, means for rotating said members to move a wire against said wire bending member for the formation of a hook, means associated with one of said rotatable members for supporting a hook for the .in troduction of a filament therein, means for reversing the rotary movementoi said members to cause a reverse movement of said wire to compress the hook upon the filament and means associated with one oi? said rotatable members for severing said filament.

15. A lamp-making machine comprising a pair of driving members for engaging a wire, a wire bending member disposed in operable relation to said driving members, means for actuating said driving members to move the wire in contact with said bending member for formation of a hook, means associated with said driving members for supporting a hook for the introduction of filament therein, means for causing a reverse actuation of said driving members to close the hook upon said filament, means associated with said members for severing the filament adjacent to said hook and means for securing an end of the severed filament not disposed in said hook.

16. A lamp-making machine comprising rotatable members positioned to engage and propel a wire through a predetermined path,

a rlgid member having a V-shaped recess disposed "in the path of movement of the wire, means for actuating said rotatable members to force an end of the wire into said recess for the formation of a hook,

means associated with said rotatable members to support the Wire after the formation of said hook for the introduction of a filament therein, means for causing a reverse actua tion of said rotatable members to cause a reverse movement of the wire and a closure of the hook upon said filament and means associated with said members for severing the filament adjacent to said book.

17. A lamp-making machine comprising means for moving a wire through a predetermined path, wire bending means disposed in the path of movement or said wire to divert an end thereof to hook form, means for supporting a filament with a portion thereof in the hook formed at the end of said wire, means for actuating said first mentioned means to cause a movement of the wire in a reverse direction, and means for severing said filament adjacent to the hooked portion of said wire.

18. A lamp-making machine comprising-a pair of rotatable members disposed to engage and propel a wire through a predetermined path, a member having a recess of substantially t -shaped form, said member being disposed to position said recess with the narrowest portion thereof offset with respect to the path of movement of wire, means for actuating said roller members to propel an end of the wire against a wall of said recess to bend the wire to hooked shape, means associated with said roller members for supporting the hook for the introduction of a filament therein and means JOHN JOSEPH HIGGINS. 

